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Friday, February 24, 2017

Can Jesus Delay His Return? (LG15)

‘Last Generation’

Mat 25:1-4 “Then the kingdom of heaven shallbe likened to ten virgins who took their
lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five
were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with
them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the
bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.”

Mat 24:48 “But
if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘ My master is delaying his coming,’”

In the last
Millennium, Christians were expecting our Lord to come back by the end of the
Millennium. As more signs were being fulfilled, the unlearned in endtime
prophecies and events, being in darkness became more fearful of endtime events
due to ignorance. They will not welcome endtime prophecies unless they surrender their lives to His will and plans.
Following signs pointed to the possibility of our Lord coming back then:-

As the above unfold one by one, all those who are learned in
endtime events rejoiced as the signs were fulfilled one at a time and in the
right order. By mid-1998, we realized that rapture was unlikely for the following
signs were still not fulfilled:

1. Fourth Seal or World War 3 with a quarter of mankind
killed.

Rev 6:7-8 When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the
voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come and see.” So I looked, and
behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades
followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to
kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth.

2. Temple of God must be rebuilt

2 Thess 2:3-4 Let no one deceive you by any means; for
that Day (rapture) will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man
of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above
all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the
temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

3. Fifth Seal or great martyrdom

Mat 24:21,29-30 “For then there will be great
tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this
time, no, nor ever shall be...Immediately after the tribulation of those days
the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will
fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign
of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth
will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven
with power and great glory.”

The few wise and
learned were comforted that even if Y2K bug be at its worst, all it could do
was to start WW3 or fourth Seal. It would not blow up the earth and wipe out
all mankind for many prophecies have not been fulfilled yet.

Unfortunately, the
majority of Christians, who are unlearned, foolish and blind, kept expecting
and fearing that rapture would be at the end of the Millennium (Y2K). So when
our Lord Jesus did not turn up as they expected, they then thought that his
coming was delayed.

Mat 24:36 “But
of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father
only.”

Since no one knows
when Jesus is coming, then we cannot accuse Him of delaying His coming.